This spring, join other clinical pharmacists from around the world at the 2009 ACCP/ESCP International Congress on Clinical Pharmacy. On April 24–28, join your colleagues to exchange best practices and discuss hot topics in the global health care arena. Meeting events will be held at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in sunny Orlando, Florida. Register online at http://www.accp.com/congress and begin planning your Congress itinerary.
The Congress agenda includes core curricular programming covering many of the hot topics in health care today:
- Curricular Track 1: Technology and Medication Safety
- Curricular Track 2: Complementary and Alternative Medications
- Curricular Track 3: Impact of Pharmacogenomics and Culture on Medication Use and Safety
- Curricular Track 4: Medication Error Assessment and Strategies for Error Prevention
These Curricular Tracks run throughout the meeting week and include interactive workshops for hands-on application of key concepts. Technology and Medication Safety is the focus of track 1, with opening sessions discussing the current and future impact of both provider- and patient-oriented technologies on medication safety, as well as the clinical pharmacist’s role in ensuring appropriate use of these technologies to optimize patient outcomes. Also discussed will be the technologies designed for care in home-based settings and applications that have been documented to improve safe medication administration and increase adherence. Two accompanying workshops will provide participants the opportunity for hands-on use of various software and technology applications.
Curricular Track 2 includes a pro-con debate on case-based evidence, focusing on kava and mono versus combination therapy. The following day, attendees can participate in a workshop designed to increase their CAM counseling skills. Discussions continue on day 3 with the importance of reporting adverse drug reactions associated with CAM, from both the European and North American perspectives. The second workshop for this track will focus on the use of CAM in clinical practice—attendees will be engaged in finding, interpreting, and evaluating CAM resources.
The impact of pharmacogenomics and culture on medication use and safety is the focus of Curricular Track 3. The opening session of this track will include discussions focusing on oncology therapy, cardiovascular therapy, and infectious diseases therapy. Sunday’s workshop, focused on challenges posed by the clinical applications of pharmacogenomics, will offer participants a chance to critique pharmacogenomic study designs and discuss justifications for universal testing, including whether this testing should be covered by health plans. Monday morning’s session will explore the health care beliefs that influence medication safety among major religious and ethnic groups. Finally, the closing case-based workshop for this track will include discussions on individualized care and cultural issues that affect patient care.
Curricular Track 4 focuses on error assessment and strategies for prevention. Advances in both North American and European hospitals and community settings will be discussed. Workshops for this track will include drug-related problem assessment and reporting strategies to increase the quantity and quality of reported events. Day 3 presentations will include sharing best practices, examining health care system differences, and comparing and contrasting practices across the globe. The closing workshop in this track will provide suggested approaches to establishing steps for preventing medication errors in a variety of practice settings.
In addition to these curricular track programs and workshops, meeting registrants will benefit from ACCP PRN-ESCP SIG–developed programs, networking events, and the ACCP Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Course. Attendees can also participate in the International Pediatric Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology Symposium, presented by the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG). With one registration, you will have access to all three meetings! Visit the ACCP Web site (http://www.accp.com/congress) to access the complete meeting schedule and to register online. See you in Orlando!